Dear dance family,

This morning I woke up, after eight beautiful hours of heavy slumber, and had absolutely no idea where I was. For a crazy, glorious moment I thought I might be back in my bed at Confolens, with all of you sleeping down the hall (or not sleeping), Astrid and Antoine consulting about the days' schedule outside, and strains of the Argentine band playing outside my window. I imagined that Didier was hovering somewhere nearby with his American flag baseball cap and camera close at hand, Eva smiling indulgently at him as he cracked his constant jokes. I thought for a minute that I needed to run down and knock on everyone's doors to make sure they won't miss breakfast before rehearsal. I saw the laundry slung over the banisters in the hall, the Kinder bar wrappers overflowing the garbage sacks come, and kids in blankets and cuddle piles on the floor. And in spite of my warm cozy bed, my kids asleep next to me, and my beautifully clean floor at home, I missed you all terribly.

Writing is how I process my emotions, so bear with me. My favorite memories are:

-Seeing our bus driver DIDIER again! 

-Playing scripture search and name that movie quote on the bus to Lyon

-Dancing so hard that we broke the floor in Pont d'Agres

-being with our "family" in Rodez (Anais, Marilyne, Didier, Alain, Nanou, Charline, and the wonderful Lycee Monteuil)

-making our hosts (Corinne!) cry in Montbazens when we sang "You are my sunshine" to them to thank them for their hospitality

-teaching the other teams (Czech Republic!) partner tag and watching the smiles and laughter as you played with people from all over the world

-"swimming" at the Pont du Gard

- the Les Mis reenactment!!!

-meeting Miranda :-) (Olivia you are so funny!)

-walking down the street in Confolens singing the armies of Helaman and having the guy (mark) stick his head out of a window and start singing along!

-watching you all step it up in Confolens after realizing the standard we had to set there

- Dancing in the rain during country night at Confolens

-When our Cajarc and Rodez groupies blocked the bus when we were trying to leave

-The emotional closing night of Rodez and the magical opening night of Confolens

- being with our dance family every day

Thank you all for meeting and exceeding our hopes and expectations for tour this year. I am so impressed with the quality of the young people on this trip. You were reading your scriptures, writing in your journals, and praying every day. You danced your hearts out, with joy in your hearts and love in your eyes, in challenging circumstances and grew so much as people. We are so very proud of you and love you all.

Love,
Mindy and Gary

WIth Every Job, When It's Complete, There is a Sense of Bittersweet...

So I tried to warn Sophie that after a big event like a play, letdown is common so she could recognize it for what it is. She cried herself to sleep the last night of the play. Even Spencer, when he got home, was a bit morose. He said, "let's not talk about the play tonight. I didn't cry at the theater because I didn't want everyone to see it. But I might now." (oh my heart!) I let them sleep in the next day (since we got home at 11:45 PM) and they were still a bit hung over. It might take a while for things to get back to normal!

Luckily the CAST PARTY was already scheduled for the next day, at our studio! So they had that to look forward to. I think almost everyone came in the cast, and some of the orchestra as well.

A Spoon Full of Sugar for Sophie and Spencer: Mary Poppins 2015

One of the biggest adventures our family had this year was the 2015 fall musical, Mary Poppins, at the local high school, Madison HS. We had heard in the spring that they had chosen this musical but did not suspect it had huge import for our family.

A week before auditions for Jane and Michael, I had a text from Sophie and Spencer's second grade teacher, the amazing Juli Dennis, suggesting that they audition. They were the perfect ages for J and M, being 10 and 8, and both had already proven stage aptitude in her annual class play of Wizard of Oz (in which Sophie played a delightful Dorothy and two years later Spencer elevated the role of Green narrator to new comedic heights). So we coached them up to sing "the Perfect Nanny" duet from the movie for their audition and dolled them up for the audition.

When we got to the high school that day, Spencer was almost immediately turned off from the audition process because of all the other kids there (some of which were sporting some rather perky British accents!) We talked him into doing it for Sophie, which got him into the room. They sang their duet then ran some lines with Bert (David Adams) and Mary (Mary Poppins). Afterwards, we figured, they did their best but didn't have much of a chance. Then we went to Applebee's, proud that they had done a new thing anyway.

That night I was praying about it, that things would turn out for the best no matter what the "best" was, and I received a very strong, very beautiful feeling of peace and calm. I had no idea what it meant, but knew that whatever happened would be right for them. If they didn't get the parts, they could still be involved in the children's chorus and have a great experience. I was grateful that the Lord was in charge and knew what our family needed.

Then the next morning it was posted that they got the parts! We were exhilarated! Then terrified. This was a lot bigger than anything either of them have ever done! But remembering my feelings of the previous night, we went to the kids' schools to tell them ourselves then began to emotionally gird our loins for the very exciting 10 weeks to come!

 One of the best parts for both of them - getting fitted for costumes!

 Rehearsals got a little silly sometimes... like the time we realized David could do the splits???

They got to be on the Mary Poppins float for Homecoming, singing and flinging candy at thousands of enthused Rexburgians. Jacob Barnes as George, Shayla Babcock as Winifred, Sophie, David Adams as Bert, Maryn Tueller as Mary, and Spence the punk

 Thank heavens for David, Tyler, Jacob, Moy, Noah and the other boys who took Spencer under their collective wings and helped him stay focused (or entertained) during rehearsals!

 Dance practice with Jackie

 The kids were at the high school every day after school for 2-3 hours. They got TWO days off in the whole 10 weeks... but learned that that's just how it is when you have a big role!

 Staging with Mr. Hibbard

 Sophie's Birthday! They sang to her the most amazing way, them being Choir kids and all.

 Moy (Neleus), Sophie, Eliza Hibbard and "Spichael" eating Sophie's birthday cookies I brought for the cast.

 Halloween came and went during rehearsals - so they wore their Dorothy and Captain America costumes to practice!

 First time flying! They LOVED it!

 David, Spence, Soph and Anna - some of our favorite cast members who really helped the kids feel special.

 Rehearsing with the orchestra for the first time

 Dress Rehearsal!

Getting notes at the end of dress rehearsal

 The true Jane and Michael!

 The kids LOVE Jacob (Mr. Banks) - he is their special buddy. And aren't the costumes great?

 "Boring! Just like other nannies, thinking parks are good for us..."

 SuperCal

 Jacob and Anna (Mrs. Brill)

 Gary choreographed Step in Time and our cloggers provided the percussive excellence and excitement!

 Flying in costume

 Anything can happen if you let it!

"I love you, Mary Poppins!"

Rehearsals were great fun for Sophie, who obediently and joyfully sang, memorized lines, and learned dances. Spencer took some more convincing (since he had only tried out so Sophie could make it). In the end I had to bribe him with daily treats, a rip stik, and a new Captain America costume for Halloween to get him through the long and often tedious rehearsals. But in the end he was COMPLETELY won over and never complained about rehearsals or missing his friends!

Mary Poppins: The Play Opens

In spite of rickety dress rehearsals and the usual last minute panics about costumes, inconsistent delivery of lines or choreography, the and fatigue of long rehearsals, performance week arrived. The first performance was a matinee for 1,300 3rd and 4th graders from the district. Luckily Sophie's class lobbied to come too so her friends got to see her!

 The Banks Family

Practically Perfect

 Spencer, Noah and

 Sophie is always the first to make friends with younger girls, who thought she was the cats meow!

 Our sweeps Dawson, Mairin, Tara, Traegan and James with Sophie and her Fly a Kite buddies

 Sophie and David and Maryn

 Trying to get Spencer to be in a photo is always a chore...

Spoon Full of Sugar (with just a few bloopers):

 I watched the first two performances from the side of the stage to oversee their 6 costume changes, so this was my view of Step in Time.

Let's Go Fly a Kite:

 We love our Kallie! with Sarah and Soph

 The kids felt like rock stars after every performance! Only we could never find Spencer, who would hurry to the choir room first thing to have his microphone removed and change his clothes! Not really one for public adoration, Spence.

 What a GREAT group of young people! Kind, supportive, fun, mature, helpful... I love them!

 All during rehearsals I'd ask the kids what their favorite scenes were. Spencer always said Step in Time, but then he flew in Anything can Happen so that won in the end. Sophie said all along, like her usual self, that she liked everything. After the first performance though, she confessed that she liked the bows best.

 Practically Perfect (and yes Maryn is as Mary!!!)

 Supercal!

 Feed the Birds, a.k.a. watch Spencer do something new and funny every night! As he got more and more comfortable on stage, he got more and more creative with his acting. In feed the birds, he'd stick some of the bird seed in his mouth and pretend to choke on it, making the most ludicrous faces! In Spoon Full of Sugar, he began miming eating the plastic fruit from the kitchen's fruit bowl.  One night while the others were dancing around the kitchen table he pretended to chug Mary Poppin's medicine bottle. Eventually the cast began lining up back stage to watch him and see what he would do next!

Jolly Holiday

"You can't come with us, you're too dirty, and we don't want to go to the stinky old park anyway!"

The costumes were gorgeous!

Our cloggers provided the percussion for Step in Time, which always brought the house down.